Best Family Games on the GBA

The family games worth playing on the Game Boy Advance start with Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Advance Wars, Wario Land 4.

The GBA and Family Games

A portable SNES with a better colour palette, and the last great 2D library before handhelds went 3D.

Family Games are a solid rather than a defining part of this library — worth knowing, but not the reason anybody owns the machine.

Filtering to family means the game has to work for a child and an adult at the same table without either of them being bored. That is a much harder design problem than a difficulty slider.

The Family Games Worth Playing

  1. 1. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  2. 2. Advance Wars

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  3. 3. Wario Land 4

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  4. 4. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  5. 5. Mario Kart Super Circuit

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  6. 6. Pokemon Emerald

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

What Makes a Good Family Game

Something you can put in front of anyone. The best family games make the skill gap not matter rather than pretending it is not there.

Edge. Family games rarely go anywhere uncomfortable, and a few of them are too generous to hold an experienced player for long alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best family game on the GBA?

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire is the usual first answer, and there are 6 in the library we cover.

Was the GBA good at family games?

It is a solid rather than a defining part of the library.

How do I check a game is suitable?

Age ratings cover content but not difficulty or frustration, which is what actually ruins a family session. Five minutes of unedited play footage tells you more than any rating.

Competitive or co-operative?

With mixed ages, co-operative usually wins. The competitive ones that work are the ones where being in last place is still entertaining.

How is this list put together?

From the games this site covers on the Game Boy Advance, matched against hand-mapped gameplay categories rather than a storefront's genre tag. A page only exists where there are at least four, which is why some console and genre combinations have no page at all.

Family Games on Other Consoles

More From the GBA

Or browse the whole Game Boy Advance library.